The present invention relates to sleeve terminals and pin and post terminals, and more particularly to a single piece construction sleeve terminal and bullet nosed post terminal combination suited for high current automotive applications.
Threaded studs with threaded nuts are used in conjunction with ring terminals to secure high current connections in automotive applications. Typically, the ring terminal has a hole which receives the threaded stud and then the nut is threaded onto the threads of the stud and tightened. While this arrangement is very robust and has long term reliability, it suffers from being ergonomically inefficient for an installer to perform all the attendant steps related thereto.
Increasingly, automotive electrical systems utilize bussed electrical distribution centers. A bussed electrical distribution center (hereinafter referred to simply as a xe2x80x9cBEDCxe2x80x9d) is a stand-alone central junction block assembly. BEDC""s package, for example, various fuses, relays and electronic devices in a single central location. BEDC""s not only save cost by consolidating electrical interconnections, advantageously the number of cut and spliced leads is reduced, thereby increasing reliability.
It would be very desirable if a BEDC could be connected to a high current circuit with a terminal construction far simpler than the standard threaded stud, nut and ring terminal combination.
The present invention is a sleeve terminal and post terminal combination, wherein a single piece sleeve terminal which is slidingly interfaced with a smooth surfaced post terminal for high current circuit applications.
The sleeve terminal according to the present invention is formed from a single piece of sheet metal stock, having an inner sleeve component and an outer sleeve component. The inner sleeve component includes three circumferentially spaced electrical contacts, wherein one of the contacts is integrally connected with the outer sleeve component, and is oppositely integrally connected to a wire mount.
The post terminal is configured to be snugly received by the inner sleeve component, wherein the three contacts are radially pressed against the post terminal. The post terminal preferably has a bullet nose and a smooth surface.
In a preferred environment of operation, the post terminal is connected with a BEDC, and the sleeve terminal is connected with a high current capacity wire. In operation, the sleeve terminal is positioned over the nose of the post terminal and the post terminal is then thrust into the sleeve terminal, wherein it is received into the inner sleeve component. The radial force of the three contacts against the post terminal ensures an excellent electrical connection between the post terminal, the sleeve terminal, and, ultimately, the wire connected with the sleeve terminal.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sleeve terminal and post terminal combination which is applicable to high current applications.
This, and additional objects, advantages, features and benefits of the present invention will become apparent from the following specification.